No matter how much you try, it seems like your hair is constantly full of knots and tangles. Dealing with tangled hair is a huge time-waster – it adds several minutes to your daily routine, and it’s extremely uncomfortable to tug at tangles every day.
Want a way to make your hair smooth and silky? Use these tips to prevent tangled hair and all the hassle that goes with it.
Why Is Your Hair Always Tangled?
Tangled hair has several causes. If you’re curious as to why your hair never seems to straighten out, these reasons might contribute to your problem:
- Your hair is too dry
- Your hair is damaged
- You have long, fine hair
- Your hair is very thick
- You’re often outside in the wind
While some of these causes have quick fixes (like tying your hair up on windy days), others take longer to mend.
It’s hard to get rid of tangles altogether, but you can still try to minimize the problem. Simply sticking with a regime can help detangle your hair.
1. Condition Your Hair Frequently
Conditioner is the most important element when it comes to detangling your hair. It moistens and relaxes your hair, allowing the tangles to come out almost instantly. For extra dry and snarled hair, you’ll want to condition every time you wash your hair.
As you work the conditioner into your hair, pay special attention to your ends, and don’t go as far up as your roots – otherwise, your hair will fall flat. Use Redken’s All Soft Conditioner to leave your hair feeling silky and tangle-free.
2. Use the Best Brushes for Tangles
After showering, use a wide-toothed comb to brush your hair. This will gently smooth out your locks without tugging and damaging your fragile, damp hair.
Once your hair dries, don’t reach for a rough-bristled round brush. The Wet Brush Original Detangler has soft, flexible bristles that glide through any tangles. Brush your hair when you wake up and before you go to bed. Ideally, you should brush your hair midday if you can. Frequent brushing keeps your tangles under control, so you won’t have to wrestle with giant knots every morning.
3. Try a Hair Mask
Applying a hair mask once a week will keep your tangles at bay. Hair masks contain a blend of powerful ingredients that help your hair lock in moisture. Just one treatment makes a huge difference in the smoothness of your hair. The OGX Hair Mask contains hydrating argan oil that guarantees velvety tresses.
4. Apply a Detangler
On days when your hair is riddled with knots and tangles, whip out a detangler like Garnier Whole Blends Detangling Hair Milk. With just a few spritzes, you can quickly combat snarls and get on with your day.
5. Care for Your Hair at Night
Before you go to bed, how do you prepare your hair? If you sleep with your hair down, you’re bound to wake up with tangles in the morning. It’s only natural that your hair will get knotted as you toss and turn during the night. Make sure to pull your hair into a loose braid or bun before heading to bed.
To make your hair even more tangle-free, invest in a silk pillowcase. This might sound odd, but sleeping on a silk pillowcase (versus cotton) keeps your hair looking smooth. Plus, it’s good for your skin!
6. Get Frequent Trims
As your hair grows, you’ll get more split ends. Getting your hair trimmed frequently will rid you of pesky split ends that cause tangles. Trims also help keep your hair healthy, so don’t skip out.
7. Avoid Heat Tools
You might love your hair straightener, wave wand, and blow dryer, but you’ll want to cut down if you notice your hair getting tangled. These tools only dry out and damage your hair even more. Give your hair a break by wearing it naturally and letting it air dry.
8. Take a Break From Hair Dye
Hair dye also causes hair damage, which only leads to more dryness, knots, and split ends. Try to limit the number of times you dye your hair, and always take good care of colored hair. If you can, use a less-damaging semi-permanent dye instead.
9. Brush Before Washing
When you jump in the shower with tangled hair, it’s only going to get more tangled before you get finished. Hair is far more prone to breakage when it’s wet, so brushing beforehand will make it less tangled when you finish your shower. This means fewer tangles to deal with while your hair is wet, less breakage, and healthier hair. Of course, healthier hair is smoother and tangles less overall.
10. Seal Split Ends
When hair breaks, the ends tangle much easier. That’s one of the reasons to get your hair trimmed regularly. In between trims, try a hair end sealer treatment. These are similar to your standard leave-in treatments, but specifically targeted to split ends. You can use these alongside other treatments. Some work on both wet and dry hair, such as the SexyHair Healthy Seal the Deal Split End Mender Lotion.
11. Use Tangle-Free Scrunchies
Pulling your hair back in a ponytail or a braid is a great way to prevent tangles, but scrunchies or ponytail holders sometimes cause more tangles and breakage. Prevent this by using tangle-free options. Avoid rubber bands and opt for soft silk or cotton. A popular option at the moment are plastic coil ponytail holders, like Kitsch Spiral Hair Ties. They don’t leave dents in your hair, they’re gentler, and surprisingly, don’t tangle. They’re my current go to, especially for exercise since they’re waterproof.
Get Manageable, Tangle-Free Hair
After you start conditioning your hair often, using hair masks, and applying detangler, you’ll notice how quickly your hair responds. Soon, your hair will become consistently silky and much easier to brush.
Fine hair is, unfortunately, prone to tangles. While you work on detangling your hair, make sure to keep these tips for dealing with fine hair in mind.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to air dry my hair and then brush it?
Either way works well. However, if you’re using a leave-in treatment, you usually have to apply this while your hair is damp. Using a detangler brush or a wide-toothed comb helps spread the treatment and break up tangles. Just be super gentle while brushing and you’ll be fine.
How can I prevent my ponytail from causing damage?
While ponytails help reduce tangles, pulling your hair up the same way all the time weakens your hair. Try different placements for your ponytail, such as higher or lower. Opt for a low braid some days. Make sure you give your hair some downtime as well.
Image credit: Unsplash
